CBS THIS MORNING was named the winner of a Peabody Award today for Charlie Rose’s worldwide exclusive sit-down interview with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. This award represents the first time that CBS THIS MORNING has been honored with electronic media’s oldest and most prestigious award.

Rose traveled to Damascus, Syria, where he spoke with the Syrian leader at the Presidential Palace on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013. The interview, which was the president’s first with an American television network in nearly two years, came at a pivotal moment as the United States considered taking military action in the tumultuous region. The interview was produced by Jeff Fager, CBS News Chairman and 60 MINUTES Executive Producer.

In announcing the honor, Peabody judges wrote, “In what was surely the biggest journalistic ‘get’ of 2013, CBS THIS MORNING’s Charlie Rose sat down with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Under Rose’s polite but persistent questioning, Assad gave us a look into the mind of one of the world’s most vicious warmongers, a glimpse of banality and evil.”

Excerpts of the interview were broadcast across several CBS News programs, and the complete interview was broadcast on PBS’ CHARLIE ROSE.

Chris Licht is the Vice President of Programming, CBS News, and Executive Producer of CBS THIS MORNING.